Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 • FOGHORN 5 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Groundwater LOOKING FORWARD… We are enthusiastic about the prospects for 2017 and you can be assured that PVA will work hard to ensure that your interests are fully represented in Washington D.C. The following are just two of the many issues on which PVA will focus its attention in the coming months: STRAINED COAST GUARD INSPECTION RESOURCES PVA remains concerned about the looming possibility of stressed Coast Guard inspection resources as a result of expanded inspection responsibilities in other maritime sectors. PVA has expressed its concern and is working closely with the Coast Guard to identify new risk-based approaches to vessel inspections which will hopefully improve and simplify the inspection process for both passenger vessel operators and Coast Guard inspectors. ILLEGAL CHARTERS One issue on which PVA will be actively working is that of deterring illegal vessel charters that are being marketed via the Internet. Over the last year, PVA has seen an increase nationally in the incidence of individuals offering vessel charters that do not meet regulatory requirements for safety, inspec- tion, security or licensing. PVA has encouraged, and will continue to encourage, the Coast Guard in the coming months to increase their enforcement in this area. PVA ANNUAL CONVENTION AT MARITRENDS 2017 As you read this column, many of you will be in Seattle attending the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2017. Many of the passenger vessel industry’s most pressing issues will be examined and discussed during this convention, and many emerging trends and industry developments will be showcased. This important PVA event will serve to appropriately kick-off the new year for our industry. I look forward to seeing you in Seattle. In the meantime, please let me know whenever we can be of assistance to you. Sincerely, John R. Groundwater Executive Director n Looking Ahead to 2017… Happy New Year and best wishes for a safe and prosperous 2017! This past year witnessed a whirlwind of activities in which PVA accomplished a great deal and the menu of benefits and services available to members to PVA members expanded greatly. OUT-OF-WATER SURVIVAL CRAFT Early this year, PVA’s long-running efforts to repeal the one-size-fits-all survival craft law were successful. Congress passed legislation rescinding this requirement, and the President signed it into law, thereby reversing a highly costly and unwarranted re- quirement for PVA member vessel operators. PVA is pleased that the process will revert to the time-tested method of the Coast Guard making such decisions after a comprehensive risk analysis. This one PVA legisla- tive victory has saved PVA members thousands of dollars in unnecessary expense. TWIC READERS PVA has worked diligently since 2006 to combat a proposed regulation that would require passenger vessel operators to purchase and install TWIC readers aboard their vessels. Throughout this long process, PVA advocated that TWIC Readers were costly, impractical and ineffective in elevating security for an industry that already had far-reaching and effective security measures in place. In its final rule, the Coast Guard agreed with PVA and exempted the majority of the domestic passenger vessel operators from having to use TWIC Readers. This successful resolution again saved PVA members thousands of dollars in unnecessary expense. NEW PVA ONLINE SAFETY TRAINING PORTAL This past year, the PVA Safety and Security Committee introduced the PVA Learning Management System, a new online safety training portal exclu- sively for PVA member use. This exciting new online safety training program was developed with PVA Associate Member Marine Learning Systems. It offers PVA members, free of charge, crew training videos and manuals electronically.As you know, the PVASafety and Security Committee strives to provide PVA members with tools and information relevant to your operations and this new tool is another example of how PVAserves its members. In its final rule, the Coast Guard agreed with PVA and exempted the majority of the passenger vessel operators from having to use TWIC Readers.